


Warmth

by dreadpiratewatson



Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bonding, Family Feels, Fix-It, Flashbacks, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Misunderstandings, Other, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Spoilers, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 11:39:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14543940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreadpiratewatson/pseuds/dreadpiratewatson
Summary: "I don't feel so good."It’s such a simple sentence. Such an innocent one. It isn’t dramatic, or loud, in fact it’s said so quietly in the living room of Tony Stark’s house, that he could have missed it, had he not been paying attention.But he doesn't miss it.Those five, seemingly innocent words echo in stereo in Tony’s head, and suddenly, his ears begin to ring, his vision dims, and the whole world around him seems to hold its’ breath.________________Tony Stark is still traumatized by Peter's 'death'. The poor boy comes home from school with a cold, and accidentally sends Tony into a panic attack.





	Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! So MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN INFINITY WAR. 
> 
> This movie fucking killed me, like I was actually sobbing in the theater. And That Scene was one of the things that got me really good, and I was like "nope. nope. didn't happen. nope." So this fic happened instead. I basically just pulled this out of my ass in less than two hours, so it's NOT the best, but I needed to make myself feel better. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! :)
> 
> -Stevie

“I don’t feel so good.”

It’s such a simple sentence. Such an innocent one. It isn’t dramatic, or loud, in fact it’s said so quietly in the living room of Tony Stark’s house, that he could have missed it, had he not been paying attention.

But he didn’t miss it.

Those five, seemingly innocent words echo in stereo in Tony’s head, and suddenly, his ears begin to ring, his vision dims, and the whole world around him seems to hold its’ breath.

“Mr. Stark?”

_God, no. Not again. Not now._

Fire.

Dust.

Ash.

Alone.

Alone.

_Alone._

_“Mr. Stark? I don’t feel so good.”_

_“I don’t want to go.”_

_“I don’t want to go, sir, please!”_

_“I don’t want to go!”_

Tony sees nothing but a cloud of ash crumbling away in his fingers, as the tearful face of the boy he’d grown to love so much gazes up at him with such pain and fear... Then slips away.

He watches Peter Parker drift away in the breeze, and he tries so desperately to hold onto him...

 _I’m so sorry._ He wants to scream. _I did this to you. I let this happen. I let you die. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Not you, please. Please, please, please, not you._

“Mr. Stark?”

Everything stops.

Tony blinks, and suddenly he’s not on Titan anymore. He’s at home, in his living room, sitting on the floor by the sofa, his heart still racing, and his breathing still erratic, and Peter-

_Peter._

Tony looks up, and sees his young ward kneeling in front of him, eyes big and filled with concern. His hand is hovering over Tony’s arm, but as soon as he realizes Tony noticing, he pulls away.

Peter clears his throat. “Um... Mr. Stark? Are you alright?”

_You’re here._

Peter furrows his eyebrows. “Well yeah.” He says timidly, and Tony realizes that he spoke aloud. “We had a half day at school, so I came early… I’m sorry, Mr. Stark, should I have gone to Aunt May’s? I mean, you told me to be here after school, but I guess you didn’t know I had a half day, I’m sorry, should I go? I can come back later-”

Tony doesn’t even give him a chance to finish his sentence, because he grabs the young man by his shoulders, and pulls him down into a bone crushing hug. He holds him tight and doesn’t let him go because he’s decided that Peter Parker isn’t going anywhere, ever again.

“Sir?” Peter utters in the softest voice. “Are you-”

“Shut up.” Tony retorts without an ounce of anger in his voice. “God, you always talk so much when you’re nervous.”

“I’m sorry, I-I don’t mean to, sir, I’m sorry,” He begins to pull away, reminding Tony of the way his whole body just drifted from his arms, and he panics. “I can go-”

 _“No!”_ Tony shouts a lot louder than he means to, and grips Peter’s shoulders even tighter.

The boy looks stunned, his eyes blown open wide. “Mr. Stark,” He rasps. “You’re scaring me a little.”

His words resonate, and Tony’s mind deflects. That’s when the tears that he’s been choking back break free, and suddenly his eyes blur, and he tries not to look at the kid in front of him. “I’m sorry.” He whispers, ashamed.

Peter gasps. “Wait, no, no, no, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way Mr. Stark. It’s the PTSD, isn’t it? What can I do? What do you need? I can go get Miss. Potts, I-”

“No.” Tony says, much quieter than before. “Just stay, please.”

Peter nods vigorously, and attempts to sit down next to Tony, but is stopped by strong arms wrapping around his small body, and shifting him until he’s sitting in the mechanic’s lap. Tony holds him like he’s cradling him, with his hand gripping a handful of the boy’s hair, and the boy’s head tucked safely in the crook of his neck. He knows Peter can feel his hands shaking, but he doesn’t dare let go.

They stay like that for a few moments, allowing Tony to ground himself from the panic attack and remind himself that the boy if safe, just in time for Peter’s curiosity to break the silence.   
  
“What set it off?” He asks in the quietest voice he can muster.

Tony sighs. “You uh… You said you didn’t feel good. It reminded me of…”

“It reminded you of that day.”

The mechanic’s silence tells all.

The boy seems to sink in Tony’s arms, and his breath instantly hitches. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Stark.” He sniffles. “I didn’t even think, I just… I think I’m getting a cold, or something, I was going to ask you where the cold medicine was, I didn’t even think… I’m so sorry, Mr. Stark.”

“Shhhh.” Tony quiets him. “You didn’t know.”

Peter breathes out, calming himself. “Do… Do you think about that often?” He asks, looking up at Tony.

The mechanic sighs, and runs his free hand through his hair. “I try not to, but… I have to admit that it haunts me.” His eyes well up with tears again, and he leans his head back up against the counter. “God, it haunts me. The look in your eyes, the way you gripped onto me, listening to how scared you were… I can’t get it out of my head some nights. Some nights I wake up, and I make Friday check up on you, just so that I know that you’re safe. I sometimes wake up still thinking I was too late.”

Peter is watching him carefully. He feels the young boy’s eyes darting around his face, searching for… _something._ “You saved me.” He then says.

“Not at first.”

“You made me feel safe.”

This shocks the mechanic, and he looks down to see Peter’s guilt stricken face stained with tears. “What?”

Peter looks down, hiding his face. “I was so afraid. I knew what was coming, and I was so scared, and you were the one thing that was safe. I couldn’t… I didn’t know what to do. It hurt so badly, and I just wanted you to fix it, to make it stop, and I was so scared, Mr. Stark.” His words have evolved into sobs by this point, and Tony is too frozen to even help him. This is the first time Peter has ever spoken about that day. “I thought you were angry with me. I knew it was my fault, that’s why I apologized. And I’m still sorry, Mr. Stark, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Tony can’t bear it any longer. He scoops the young boy back into his arms, and rocks Peter back and forth as he cries. “I was never angry with you, kid. I made a promise to keep you safe, to never leave you, and I failed. I failed _you._ ”

“You didn’t fail me, dad.”

Tony freezes. His heart and blood are suddenly ice cold, and he can barely breathe as he tries to comprehend what Peter just said.

Peter, who had also frozen, glances up with his eyes fearful and wide. “Mr. Stark, I… I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean-”

Tony lets out a breathless laugh. “Dad, huh? You think we’re there yet?”

The young boy blushes, and Tony’s heart melts. “It was an accident. It won’t happen again, Mr. Stark.”

“No.”

Peter glances back up in confusion.

Tony’s heart is warm. He’s never felt so warm before. In fact, before Peter Parker, he’s not even sure he knew what warmth was. But this boy, this young, stupid kid with his heart in all the right places, was so warm. “Dad is fine,” He says, and meaning it. “I’d be proud to be your father. I’m proud to be your stand in.” He only half jokes.

Peter’s eyes are filling with tears again. “Thank you, sir. I won’t ever let you down again, Mr. Stark - I mean dad, I mean-”

“Hey.” Tony says, clamping his hand over the kid’s mouth. “If I’m going to be your dad, we’ve got to work on this whole nervous rambling thing. It’s annoying.”

From behind his hand, Peter laughs, and Tony thanks whatever forces in the universe he can that Peter Parker came to him. In that moment, he vows that he will never let anything wipe that smile off of the kid’s face. He vows he’ll never fail him again, may he be struck down by Thor’s mighty power.

_No one will hurt my boy again._


End file.
